Light My Way
by abrightidea
Summary: Everybody loses their way sometimes, but what if the person designed to help you find your way was just as lost as you? Would you save eachother or find yourselves at a dead end? Hermione Granger never thought Draco Malfoy would help her find her way.
1. Prologue

_Light My Way – A story of two people lost in the sea of night._

_A/N – All characters belong to JK Rowling, and in no part are owned by me. All writings are in appreciation of the original creations, and are not for profit._

It started with a boy in a dark blue pea coat.

Let's take that back a notch, it started with a man in a dark blue pea coat three years ago. That's how all of these stories begin, right? A girl is waiting outside a train station in lower London when a man approaches her in a dark blue pea coat. He asks to sit next to her, and she gently moves her bag to her lap proceeding to make room for the man. As the time passes, she flips a page in her book only to notice his consistent staring.

Days pass into months, months into years and she has now been with the man in the dark blue peacoat since he handed her his number that day on the platform. Three years can pass before one's eyes in the amount of time it takes to extinguish a candle. She lies there, listening to his breathing in the desolate dark of night. She watches his chest rise and fall with each slow breath, and thinks to herself why she continues the façade. Why does she need to be wanted by _this_ man? Night is her escape though, unbeknownst to him. This is when she feels the most safe, and yet the most afraid.

Hermione Granger, age twenty-two and thankfully still counting. She looks towards the clock on the nightstand, and then back to the ceiling above her. The warmth of her tears roll down her face, but she doesn't care. Night is the only time she can allow herself to let the river escape the mental barricade and freely flow. She will escape in the light of day, but she had to plan it just right.

He mumbles something and turns to lie on his stomach. Yes, she had to get out. When she did get out though, who could love her? She was broken, and men didn't want a broken woman. They wanted pristine and perfection. He told her that many times, before the impending punishment.

She rolls to her side now, and looks at the clock once more. Daylight would approach soon and she needed to get her rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_In another part of London~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Draco Malfoy laid there for what felt like eternity. Night was always the hardest for him. He mind tended to always drift back to his school days. He could never shake those haunting images of Dumbledore's face from his thoughts. Night was the hardest part of Draco Malfoy's existence. The unforgiving cold of night, always inviting the haunting images into his clouded, sleep deprived mind. He wished for a miracle to take away the images, and bring him some salvation from his punishment.

He rolled to look at the clock and thanked Merlin for the approach of dawn's embrace. Draco loved the breath of sun over the horizon, and in some way he felt akin to morning's arrival. The birth of a new day made him hope for the birth of a new man inside himself. This task he had been trying to accomplish for three years. Every day inching closer to success, and every day brought the promise of that new man's emergence from within.

Yes, the dawn would bring him salvation and rejoice from within. He would soon become this man, and in due time prove to her that he was worthy. He hated the bloody git she had chosen those years on that train platform. He supposed it was his fault though, he had his chance. He saw her again a year ago at a charity event. Her demeanor destroyed, and spirit broken. Draco Malfoy had never seen something so depressing. The worst part, she was trying to hide the bruising already forming on her wrists when she shook his hand. He would save her, much like she saved him.

Come morning, and bring with it the salvation desired for Draco Malfoy.

This was the calm before the storm.


	2. Chapter 1  Endings Are Only Beginnings

_Light My Way – Chapter 1 – Endings are Only Beginnings_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and do not claim to own any of the characters. Please respect JK Rowling for bringing these characters into our lives. Thank you!_

Hermione Granger was certain of two things when going downtown on a Monday morning. The first and foremost to remember, you will always run into the person you least expect. Especially if you are traveling in Diagon Alley of all places on a Monday morning and you happen to be a witch or wizard. Hermione Granger had managed to accomplish both one and two before nine-thirty. What is the second thing you may ask? Managing to look like a complete idiot in front of said individual while attempting to complete a fairly routine task that most people with half a brain can achieve without fault.

Yes, she had managed to achieve both of these items before nine-thirty. She had no idea what she was going to do with the rest of her day. Maybe she would break her ankle walking off a sidewalk, just for good luck. Now she was face to face, or rather face to jacket, with the one man she least expected or wished to see this particular Monday morning. She stood there, silent and hoping that he could get the snide comment out of the way. What he did next surprised her and those that heard the tale after.

"Granger? Are you alright?"

Hermione blinked, and looked up as if to say, _What did you just say?_

"Hello? Granger? I knew I had abs of steel, but I didn't think they could cause damage. Perhaps you should sit down?"

There was the good old Draco Malfoy. Thank Merlin, for a moment she thought she was in _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ and unfortunately she forgot how that movie ended.

"I'm fine Malfoy. I was just lost in thought, and apparently you can't see down past your nose. You should really watch where you're going."

Draco took a step back, and smirked. There was the fire she was missing. Now, how to make it stay was the challenge.

"I apologize for the inconvenience Granger, but I don't think I can be blamed for your lack of stature. Honestly though, I think you should sit down."

She couldn't sit down. She had to get to the Ministry to meet Harry before he left for a month to Bulgaria. If she didn't meet with him today, she didn't know how much longer she would be able to hold on.

"No, as tempting as any other woman may find sitting with you I have to get to the ministry before eleven."

She attempted to side step him to continue on her journey, but in what Hermione called, "The Malfoy Manners," he continued to be a pain.

"Granger, you might have some head trauma. I just want to make sure you are okay."

Crap, and that just slipped out. _Way to go Draco,_ he thought to himself, _you might as well have suggested she leave that git of a boyfriend and be with you for all eternity. _What Hermione Granger did next surprised even herself.

"I guess I could sit for a moment. How about there?"

Hermione pointed to a small outdoor café not ten steps from Olivander's. There were a few patrons enjoying the morning fever of the busy street, others were merely reading the Daily Prophet before they too joined the rat race. Draco simply nodded, and they walked over to a table. He pulled out her chair for her, and she obliged his offer. He sat across from her simply asking the waiter for two coffees as he passed.

"So, why are you in a hurry to the ministry Granger?" he smirked.

She had grown to hate smirking men, but on him, it didn't look so bad. In fact, it lit something in her she had long thought dead.

"If you must know, I have a meeting with Harry before he leaves for a month. Nothing really important."

It was half the truth. What was she going to really say, _I am meeting with him to discuss my latest trip to St. Mungo's and ask about restraining orders against my boyfriend. You've met my boyfriend right? Plays quidditch, everyone loves him, and enjoys the occasional tossing of one Hermione Granger. _No, she couldn't open with that. Her affairs were her own as his were his own.

"You know, for nothing really important you seemed to be running pretty fast."

Damn it Malfoy. Damn you and your line to hell. The coffee arrived at that moment, _Good ammo in case I need it_, was the only thing Hermione could think. She neglected to notice that the man she was currently considering castrating was paying for their coffee's and thanking the waiter.

"Well Harry is leaving for that big diplomatic conference in Bulgaria for the next month, so I wanted to reach him before he left at eleven."

Stirring his coffee Draco examined Hermione more. He noticed the small strands of her chestnut hair that seem to escape the clip that held the rest of her hair hostage, and the slight darkness around her eyes that had not been there a year ago. He noticed as she reached for the cream how her hands now slightly trembled, a trait he felt she herself did not notice.

"I see. Well we could head that way together. I have some business to take care of there as well before eleven."

This was also partially true.

Hermione thought this over for a second when the sudden crash outside of the Weasley's joke shop made her jump. Had she not had coffee in her mouth she might have screamed out. _Breathe Hermione, he doesn't know you are here. He couldn't know you are here, _she reminded herself.

When she turned back around, she decided that maybe taking Malfoy was not such a bad idea after all.

"Um, yes, I mean we can walk that way together."

The wind shifted as they rose from their seats and began to walk towards the ministry. Both meeting with Harry Potter, only one admitting to this.

As they walked, sometimes remarking on either business or other oddities along the way, Draco took the woman beside him in. She smelled like jasmine and vanilla, her hair parted slightly to the side and her body with slightly more curves than he remembered. Yes, she looked beautiful. Her boyfriend was unworthy of having Hermione Granger. As they reached the Ministry of Magic Draco stood there for a moment.

_Remember Draco, the end is only the beginning to something greater. Never be afraid of the journey, because fear is just a reminder of something greater than one's self. _


End file.
